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Walter Emanuel Jones
This is an iHeart podcast guaranteed human.
Will Friedle
Ever been at the pharmacy counter and your mind goes blank when the pharmacist asks any questions? That's why you need to listen to beyond the Script from CVS Pharmacy and iHeartMedia starting January 14th. Hosted by Dr. Jake Goodman, each episode features real conversations with CVS pharmacists, the health experts you see most, breaking down the questions you wish you'd asked, from which meds may not mix well to what vaccines you need before a big trip. They'll bust myths, decode trends, and share practical advice you can actually use. Listen to beyond the script on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Danielle Fishel
I'm Danielle Fishel Rider Strong and Will.
Will Friedle
Friedle from Pod Meets World.
Danielle Fishel
Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or thinking about getting started, check out season four of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studios and Intuit QuickBooks.
Ryder Strong
In this latest season, hosts Austin Hankwitz and Janice Torres are talking to self starters about the ins and outs of entrepreneurship and how QuickBooks helps you to get more done in less time. You won't want to miss it.
Will Friedle
Listen to Mind the Business small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Okta/Julian Edelman (advertisement voice)
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Angie Hicks
Co founder of Angie, and one thing I've learned is that you buy a house, but you make it a home. Because with every fix, update and renovation, it becomes a little more your own. So you need all your jobs done well. For nearly 30 years, Angie has helped millions of homeowners hire skilled pros for the projects that matter, from plumbing to electrical roof repair to deck upgrades. So leave it to the pros who will get your jobs done well. Hire high quality pros@angie.com did you know.
Danielle Fishel
That parents rank teaching financial literacy as the toughest life skill? That's where greenlight comes in, the debit card and money app made for families. With greenlight, you can send money to kids quickly, set up chores Automate allowance and track spending with real time notifications. Kids learn how to earn, save and spend responsibly while parents have peace of mind knowing smart money habits are being built with guardrails in place. Try greenlight risk free today@greenlight.com iheart that's greenlight.com iheartra. I couldn't have loved my costumes on Dancing with the Stars anymore, as you can imagine. I mean, the whole process of being involved in, you know, do they bring.
Ryder Strong
You options like, how does it work?
Danielle Fishel
Okay, so here's how it works. At the. At a week before you are doing a dance, there's the production meeting. You meet with the. The production team and they show you what they're thinking of. They go, okay, so here are the lights. We're going to use these lasers. We're going to have a smoke. We're going to try a smoke thing maybe. And it. It isn't like we're going to try this smoke thing because now that we've heard your idea for the dance, it works in. It's just like we have the ability this week to use this cool smoke or fog machine. And so we're going to try to put it into as many dances as we can. And then, you know, knowing that, is there a way for you to incorporate it somehow? Okay, and part of this production meeting is then a wardrobe page where Daniela and Steven, the male and female, you know, Stephen does all the guys costumes and so even for the pros, and Daniella does all of the celeb costumes. They.
Will Friedle
Is this. I'm sorry, is this a different Daniella than dancer Daniela?
Danielle Fishel
Correct.
Will Friedle
There were multiple Daniellas.
Danielle Fishel
Yes. Daniella Karagosh, Pasha's wife, is a Daniella spelled like my name, but with SO2L's and an A at the end. Daniella Goshwender. The wardrobe is Daniella with one L. And then there's me, Danielle. Oh, my God.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
It's like the Williams on Boy Meets World.
Danielle Fishel
There's just everything. Okay, yes, it was rather confusing, especially for Pasha. But so then they get a page and Daniella is a wonderful artist, and so she has drawn a sketch of what she wants your dress to look like. And then there's usually already a fabric swatch attached to it so she can tell you made out of this material. And you know, I literally never once. That's not true. I literally all but once just was like, gorgeous.
Will Friedle
Love it.
Danielle Fishel
And then one, one week I was like, can we make the cha cha halter? Because I had just worn that Hot pink dress for my promo photo shoot that was somebody else's. It was like another dancers, and it just happened to fit me, and then they added more fringe to it.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
And that was mine.
Danielle Fishel
It was yours. Exactly. And so I had just worn it, and it was halter, and I felt really comfortable in it. I felt very confident. I felt attractive. And I was like, if we're doing another hot pink dress for Cha Cha, I'm gonna. Let's make it a halter. And she was like, okay. And she was like, I was, you know, doing these straps, and she kind of explains to me why. And I listened to it, and I was like, okay. But I. I think I want a halter. And then I try the dress on, and it's a halter. And I go to do my cha Cha for the first time during the dress rehearsal. And it weighs, no joke, £30. Oh, God, it has so much fringe and so much beading. And because it's halter, and the only thing it has to hang on is my neck. It is pulling on my neck. The whole thing now it feels like a diaper. My. My. It's slipping off of me.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
I'm.
Danielle Fishel
I'm wiggling it up, and I. I have to take it off after dress rehearsal. I'm like, I cannot physically do the dance of this. And she goes, I'll change the straps. And sure enough, she does the straps she originally wants in between dress rehearsal, which goes from 2 to 4, and then the live show is 5 to 7. So I take it off at 4, and somehow before the live show at 5, they've already changed it from a halter to two thicker straps that then fit me perfectly.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
I'm sorry. I just. I want to talk very quickly about something you said.
Will Friedle
She, for every contestant every week, draws a picture of the dress.
Danielle Fishel
Correct.
Will Friedle
And puts a swatch on every single. So she's correct drawing fashion every single week for every contestant.
Ryder Strong
Such a cool job.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Will Friedle
Yikes.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
That's a lot of work.
Okta/Julian Edelman (advertisement voice)
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
And that's the. So, like, when you talk about the fact that it's a whole team of people, that's the majority of kind of what she does. She's not ifat is the person who's actually the seamstress, and then there are other people who are putting on all the jewels. But Daniella is the one who's saying she knows art. Exactly. The conceptual artist of what this should be. Knowing the dances at this point. Well, having been on the show for so many years, knowing the dances, knowing what works well and also being so familiar with what fabrics are out there.
Ryder Strong
I mean, if that's your skill set, that's probably the greatest job for you.
Walter Emanuel Jones
You know what I mean?
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Like, honestly.
Ryder Strong
Because if you're a costume designer, like, and you want to do that kind of show, I mean, that's.
Danielle Fishel
What a.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
What a cool gig.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Angie Hicks
What a cool.
Ryder Strong
I mean, it would be my nightmare because I can't draw and would never. I'd be like, pretty trash.
Will Friedle
Go.
Danielle Fishel
Well, I found out then by one Ms. Jordan Chiles that you can buy your Dancing with the Stars costumes.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
At the end of the season.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
What did you get?
Danielle Fishel
And I was like, wait, what? You can buy them? And she goes, yeah, I think I'm gonna buy them all. And I was like, I also want to buy them all. I didn't even know anything about this. So that at my next fitting, I say to Daniella, what is this I hear about us being able to buy our costumes? And she goes, yeah, if you want to. If you want to buy your costumes, you can buy your costumes. And I'm like, okay. I do. So at the end of the season, I get an email that says, hey, Danielle, do you want to buy. We hear you want to buy some of your costumes. Can you tell us which ones you're interested in? And I'm like, well, maybe all of them. Like, meanwhile, I say this to Jensen, and Jensen's like, what. What are you gonna do with these? And I'm like, I want a museum of my own. I just want a Dancing with the Stars museum of my. My experience on it.
Ryder Strong
Like, just the Danielle Fischl museum. We have the hair from Topanga. You have the outfits from Dancing with the Stars.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Exactly.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
It'll be like your presidential lineup from.
Danielle Fishel
My dance with Lance. Like, I just. I want my stuff.
Ryder Strong
Will's got his museum already.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
I know, but can you think about what. What would be the greatest thing about the Danielle Fishel Museum? It would have the best cafeteria for lunch.
Danielle Fishel
Oh, you know it.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
So that's what I'm. That's what I'm thinking.
Ryder Strong
It would just be McDonald's.
Will Friedle
What are you talking.
Danielle Fishel
It'd just be McDonald's, have Panda Express, too, and also have islands.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Rubies would be there.
Danielle Fishel
Not Ruby Tuesdays. Rubies.
Will Friedle
Exciting.
Walter Emanuel Jones
So exciting.
Danielle Fishel
PF Changs would be there, dying to.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Know what they cost.
Danielle Fishel
Okay, so they write back, oh, okay. You're interested in possibly all of them. We'll let you know what they all cost. I want to know. I want you guys. Let's go.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Through how many dresses?
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, Week one, my tango. It was a strapless teal pleated gown with a nude waist, insert rhinestone trim, and a stoned nude panty.
Ryder Strong
Wait, so like, real rhinestones? Is that like. Are those worth.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Are they fake rhinestones?
Danielle Fishel
No, they're not.
Walter Emanuel Jones
No. I don't know what a rhinestone is.
Ryder Strong
Is it for rhinoceros?
Danielle Fishel
No, it's just a. It's a thing that reflects light that makes it look sparkly, and you can buy them by the thousands.
Ryder Strong
So costume jewelry?
Angie Hicks
Ish.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
Okay.
Danielle Fishel
How would you know that?
Ryder Strong
I bet you that's a thousand dollar. Thousand dollar dress.
Danielle Fishel
You think that's a thousand dollars?
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
I would say it's worth money. I mean, 700.
Danielle Fishel
Wow. It's kind of right in between you guys. It's an $800 dress.
Will Friedle
Okay.
Walter Emanuel Jones
That's works.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Seems like a lot, though. But okay.
Ryder Strong
Does it.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Where do you wear it?
Danielle Fishel
All right, well, that's the thing is that I could never wear it again. Yes.
Ryder Strong
But is it like a prom dress? Like a thousand dollars for, like, a nice prom?
Danielle Fishel
I guess this is hard for me to answer because I grew up in the 90s where, you know, you could go to Jessica McClintock, and I think my. I think my dress was like 3 or 400, and it felt like it was so much money.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Right.
Ryder Strong
But this dress has been on tv.
Danielle Fishel
This dress is. This is a famous dress. This is a. This is a.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
But it's famous because of you.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
So that.
Will Friedle
Is there not a Danielle Fischl discount?
Danielle Fishel
Thinking about is, are they making money on the costumes?
Ryder Strong
Are they selling them elsewhere?
Danielle Fishel
Did it cost $800 to make it? I guess if you're thinking fair wage. If exactly. Fair wage labor, then the answer is yes, because the dress itself, there's no way this. The fabric is.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
No. You know, but the first one's 800.
Danielle Fishel
The first one's 800. Week two, my cha cha was a hot pink beaded fringe dress with nude mesh inserts and rhinestone trim. What do you think that one is?
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
I'd say right around that same price and 600. 600 bucks?
Danielle Fishel
It was 11. That one's 1100. Okay.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Okay, so we're at almost two grand, right? 1900 bucks. Wait, we're still going 1900 bucks?
Danielle Fishel
Week three, Foxtrot Light Blue mesh bodice with silk chiffon skirt, lace, rhinestone, and feather trims.
Ryder Strong
Those feather trims, man.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
950.
Ryder Strong
I'm going to say less. I'm going to say 650.
Danielle Fishel
1250. It's the most expensive dress so far.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Yeah. Okay.
Danielle Fishel
Okay. The week four quick step. You guys are gonna love this. A fully rhinestoned silver bodysuit. Silver fringe pants.
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
With attached rhinestone belt.
Ryder Strong
1500 bucks.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Oh, good guess.
Will Friedle
Now she just said the one before was the most expensive dress so far.
Danielle Fishel
No, no. Up to that point.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Oh.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
975.
Danielle Fishel
$1,400.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Oh, my God.
Ryder Strong
That's how they get you.
Danielle Fishel
So now. So now we're at like $3,250 plus 1,400. We're at like $5,500. $5,600.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
For dresses you can't wear any.
Danielle Fishel
For dresses I can't wear ever again. Week five jive. It was a brown citrine tan graphic printed collared dress, matching attached belt.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
That was the Feeny dance.
Danielle Fishel
That's the Feeny dance. Yeah.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
That can't be as expensive.
Ryder Strong
850.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Yeah, I'm gonna say right around there. 800 bucks.
Danielle Fishel
$700. Okay, you guys, Ryder's pretty good at this.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
And I still want Pasha's shirt from that night.
Danielle Fishel
Oh, yeah.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Cause it was like a Cory shirt, but like a bedrazzled Cory shirt.
Danielle Fishel
It was a bedazzled Cory shirt and made of dance shirt material. So super stretchy.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
I want that.
Danielle Fishel
And again, I'm guessing that was his favorite.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Yeah, he and I are very similar body styles, so I'm guessing I could fit into that shirt. Not a problem at all. I couldn't get a sleeve in it. My arm couldn' get into that thing. But that was a cool shirt.
Danielle Fishel
That was a great shirt.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
All right, so we're at 6,500 is.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, something like that.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Okay.
Danielle Fishel
And then week six, my Argentine tango, the black moss neck. It was a great dress. Asymmetrical skirt, black mesh dress with rhinestones.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
That's going to be an expensive one. I'm going to say. 1600, 1400.
Danielle Fishel
850. That's a bargain, right?
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yes.
Danielle Fishel
Okay. And then there's my Viennese waltz dress, which is the white lace bodice with pearl trim, silk chiffon skirt, and a pleated belt. And it got a blood stain.
Will Friedle
I was going to say this is covered in blood.
Ryder Strong
You can't.
Danielle Fishel
Covered in blood. You can wear it for the museum Halloween. Oh, my God, you're right.
Ryder Strong
950.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
1100.
Danielle Fishel
500 bucks. What?
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
It's the blood. It's the blood that does it. That's the thing. That's why when you get like. You can get like, murder cars. They're way cheaper. Like Eight people were killed in here.
Will Friedle
Like, that's. I'll take it.
Ryder Strong
Nice.
Danielle Fishel
And then my. My eliminated dress. My Week 8 Contemporary Metallic Silver halter dress with ruched bodice and rhinestone trim.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Oh, well, if a ruched bodice, I mean, it's gonna.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
No, you're talking a ruched.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Ah, yeah. Come on.
Walter Emanuel Jones
How ruched.
Danielle Fishel
That's the worst joke.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
It's great.
Danielle Fishel
What is the joke?
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
How rooshed instead of how rude? How ruched. Danneritos.
Walter Emanuel Jones
How rushed.
Danielle Fishel
How whooshed.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
795.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
Okay.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Okay, yeah.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
850.
Ryder Strong
I'll say it again. Maybe it'll work this time.
Danielle Fishel
$600.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
God.
Danielle Fishel
And then there was the team week. The eight.
Walter Emanuel Jones
The.
Danielle Fishel
The team dance, which was just a team Chicago. Sleeveless. Yeah. Black jacket and black wool pants and a white sleeveless bodice. I don't want that one. But 350.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Okay, so we're at like 10 grand.
Danielle Fishel
I mean, exactly.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
For stuff for you can't wear anywhere. And you bought it all, didn't you?
Danielle Fishel
I haven't yet. I have to now. Now that I know how expensive all of it is, I do feel like I have to pick. And I was thinking, I think I should take the jive dress because that was my dedication. It's the Topanga callback dress. Even though like, I think I and that $1 700. I have to have my Argentine tango dress. My dress that was for my best dance, my most like fun, fun week of everything. Like Argentine tango. And then now that writer said I could wear that. My bodice with the blood stain for Halloween. I could be like a bloody bride anytime. I have somewhere I need to go. And it'd be like, this is my Dancing with the Stars dress.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
And that one's $500. I feel like I need those three.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
Okay, but wait, you're not gonna take like the. The pants? Didn't you have like samba ish pants with the.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, the. The fringe pants.
Ryder Strong
But that's.
Danielle Fishel
It's a fourteen hundred dollar outfit.
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
That. You can't wear those.
Ryder Strong
You can't anywhere you wear those. It's worth it.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Yeah, that's like. It's like the wine. It's like you don't open the wine for the special occasion. The special occasion is the wine. I gotcha. Interesting.
Danielle Fishel
It reminds me of when I was in eighth grade and my mom and I went to Melrose to look for my eighth grade graduation dress. Don't know why we thought that was a fun. Yeah. That's where we went and Cosmo, who is now actually famous on TikTok, you guys may know who Cosmo is, but he owns a store on Melrose. And my mom and I walked in there and he has a voice like this. He talks like this. And he, he pulled something out for me to wear.
Walter Emanuel Jones
8Th grade graduation.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
I got you covered.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, it was a hot pink rhinestone miniskirt. It was about this big. Oh, God, it was so little. And I put it on and my mom was like, ooh, I mean, you look so cute in that. But I don't think that's good for eighth grade graduation. And I said, yeah, I don't really know where I'd wear this. And he goes, girl, you wear it to Ralph's. You wear it to Ralph's. And you walk up and down the aisles and you say, look at me.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
Look at.
Ryder Strong
That's what you do.
Danielle Fishel
You wear it to Ralph's. And I wow, I've thought about it forever. Anytime I Ralph's, anytime I have like something only rock and roll.
Ryder Strong
Ralph's on Sunset, though. That's really.
Danielle Fishel
And that's the one he was talking about for sure.
Will Friedle
Can I, can I ask a question?
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
That's going to be weird and off putting.
Will Friedle
Why would one need a nude panty?
Danielle Fishel
So. Because there's lots of kicks and the dress is very high. So it's, it's basically like a one piece bodysuit under there so that when we kick that nothing's seen on tv.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Right.
Danielle Fishel
And so they rhinestone it.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
They wanted to. But nude means like a brown color, doesn't it? Like, wouldn't they match the dress?
Danielle Fishel
Technically, Technically, nude is whatever color. Your skin is so naked it blends into your skin. So like Jordan and I would have two different versions of nude.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Okay, but then why wouldn't. Why wouldn't it just the crotch, which is one of the greatest words ever, just match the color of your dress.
Danielle Fishel
Because then it then it looks like so like my. In that case, my dress was teal. So if I had a teal thing on under and then I kicked, you would then like, your eye would be to like, my crotch is teal as opposed to flesh colored. It just. You don't really notice anything.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
My crotch is teal. Is that your favorite?
Danielle Fishel
Instead I had a rhinestone crotch.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
That makes more sense. That makes more sense.
Ryder Strong
Real rhinos.
Walter Emanuel Jones
It was.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Yeah, exactly. It was vagazzalized. That's nice. That's perfect.
Walter Emanuel Jones
It's perfect.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
I like it.
Ryder Strong
Oh, how roast.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Ooh, lash. Ooh la la.
Ryder Strong
Ooh la la.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Did I rush that? Did you just do it for every catchphrase?
Danielle Fishel
Welcome to pod meets world. I'm danielle fishel.
Ryder Strong
I'm ryder strong.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
And I'm will friedle.
Will Friedle
Ever been at the pharmacy counter and the pharmacist asks do you have any questions? And suddenly your mind goes blank? That's exactly why you need to listen to beyond the Script from CVS Pharmacy and iHeartMedia. Starting January 14th. Hosted by Dr. Jake Goodman, this podcast brings you real conversations with CVS pharmacists, the health experts you see most, answering the questions you wish you'd asked, like which medications might not mix well, what vaccine should you consider before a big trip, and even those questions you were too embarrassed to say out loud. Each episode busts myths, decodes health trends, and gives you practical, trustworthy advice straight from the people behind the counter. No white coats, no lectures. Just real talk, real answers, and maybe a few laughs. Listen to beyond the script on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Danielle Fishel
I'm Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong, and Will.
Will Friedle
Friedle from Pod Meets World.
Danielle Fishel
Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or thinking about getting started, you will definitely want to check out season four of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks.
Ryder Strong
Mind the Business is part entertainment, part instruction manual, part inspiration. Each episode features practical tips and success stories that will resonate with entrepreneurs in any industry.
Will Friedle
In this latest season, hosts Austin Hankwitz and Janice Torres are covering topics topics on the forefront of running a small business.
Danielle Fishel
They're talking to self starters about everything from how AI helps them work smarter to weathering market uncertainties and enjoying the benefits of being your own boss. And using Intuit QuickBooks to help you get more done in less time. You won't want to miss it.
Will Friedle
Listen to Mind the Business Small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Okta/Julian Edelman (advertisement voice)
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Angie Hicks
Hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co founder of Angie and one thing I've learned is that you buy a house, but you make it a home. Because with every fix, update and renovation, it becomes a little more your own. So you need all your jobs done well. For nearly 30 years, Angie has helped millions of homeowners hire skilled pros for the projects that matter, from plumbing to electricity, electrical roof repair to deck upgrades. So leave it to the pros who will get your jobs done well. Hire high quality pros@angie.com.
Danielle Fishel
As much as it pains me to say this, after today's episode, I will no longer be the best dancer who has appeared on Podney's World. Sure, we've talked to Sabrina Bryan, Danica McKellar, Candace Cameron, Jody Sweet, and Lance Bass, Ernie Reyes Jr, Jaleel White, Montel Jordan, hell, even Patrick Rena. And they all could be considered better natural dancers than I. But the truth is, I could probably create an optimistic argument and convince myself I stood a chance against these guests. But today, that illogical facade dies. We are talking to a triple threat 90s icon who not only played a crucial part in building the phenomenon that was the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but he also became the first black superhero in television history, a title absolutely no one should take lightly. And further extending his retro lore, he starred in the quintessential Dcom Brink, a beloved rollerblading film that will somehow found a way to hate. He'd also complete a perfect TV guest star cycle, finding himself on Sabrina the Teenage Witch Step By Step, the Parenthood, Moesha, Buffy, and Family Matters. And yes, he's a phenomenal dancer. Latin, hip hop, jazz, ballet, modern tap. He performed at the 1992 Olympics and won the title of world champion in salsa in 2004.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Wow.
Danielle Fishel
He taught Hollywood stars like Vin Diesel and Jada Pinkett Smith. But did he finish eighth on a very popular season of Dancing with the Stars?
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
No.
Ryder Strong
Did he do the Argentinian tango?
Danielle Fishel
No, he did not. But he's here with us today, and we are so excited to talk to him about everything. Please welcome to Pod Meets World, a pioneering superhero and better dancer than I am, Walter Emanuel Jones.
Walter Emanuel Jones
What's going on, y'?
Ryder Strong
All?
Danielle Fishel
How are you?
Ryder Strong
I'm good.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I'm good.
Danielle Fishel
How are you? Oh, my gosh, Walter, thank you so much for being here. We.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Oh, my pleasure.
Danielle Fishel
Mentioned you on Pod Meets World before. Will also mentioned you during his Brink Magical Rewind episode. And so I am assuming this is a little like Beetlejuice. And now that we've said your name three times, you have appeared here, and we love it. That's the way we manifested you.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I love that. I like being manifested. Let's go.
Danielle Fishel
I love it. Let's first talk about where it all started for you. It was far, far away from Hollywood in Detroit, Michigan. And when do you start showing signs of wanting to be an entertainer?
Walter Emanuel Jones
You know what? It started when I was a kid, like, in church. I used to go to church, and my cousin was in the core ensemble. So I got into core ensemble, and, like, the family was singing in the core ensemble. And then I was, like, the third shepherd on the left, you know, So I. It started there. My father was a minister, so I got used to seeing my dad in church speak to people and. And, you know, he's a great orator. And. And I will look at him and be like, wow, my dad's speaking to all these people. And. And he was very friendly. Would just, like, talk to any stranger about God or whatever. And a lot of that rubbed off on me, listening to him sing. And then we'd be in the car and he'd be like, hey, Walt, can you do any impressions? And I'm like, no. And I would try it, and then he goes, do Howard Cosell. And I would try it, and he would laugh, and I would be like, then I wanted to get better at it. And I don't know, it was. Went from there to talent shows, dancing, and singing. And then I started acting. I started taking speech in high school. Then I joined actors class. Class of Acting. My teacher took us to a thespian conference in my senior year and I took a two minute monologue and auditioned for 20 colleges and I got three scholarships.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
So.
Walter Emanuel Jones
It changed my whole trajectory because at the time I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I was like, I like acting, but I hadn't really considered it a possibility of being a career. Not in Detroit. There wasn't a lot of opportunity. I mean there was some theater, there's street theater. I did street theater, you know, but I didn't, you know, television was so far away from me.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
But I got a scholarship at Amada in New York, I got a scholarship at Muncie, Indiana and I got a scholarship at usiu which was United States International University School of Performing and Visual Arts in Los Angeles, in San Diego, California. So I picked California because it sound good. I was like, california, you know, and then I got out there and I started going to school and I recognized that the winter was just rain. And I was like, I am never going back to Detroit. Yep, I ain't done with no more snow, man. I'm done with that. So after getting my four year degree, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater, I, you know, I decided to jump into the world and I started working on cruise ships. I worked on the Love Boat, Francisco.
Danielle Fishel
Did you have an agent? How did you get that gig?
Walter Emanuel Jones
You know what it was in the trades is the back in the day.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
They used to have a little magazine.
Walter Emanuel Jones
That told you about auditions and, and also had a friend. I worked at Sea World and a show called City Streets and one of my friends there had taken off and started working on cruise ships. And he came back and was telling me about all these adventures he had where he'd been, these activities he had been involved with. And I was like, man, that sounds amazing, I want to do it. He said, you should audition. And I was like, you think I could do it? He was like, and so I next audition came up, he let me know about it and I went up to la, I auditioned and I was hired. So I worked on Princess Cruise Lines. I went on and so you're doing, you're doing everything.
Ryder Strong
You're singing, you're dancing, singing, Dancing, acting.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah, before that I was doing singing telegrams and oh my God, you were just doing it.
Will Friedle
Wait, were you doing martial art? Were you?
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Because we'll get into this too. Were you already doing martial arts?
Walter Emanuel Jones
I was a martial artist when I was a kid. So I studied Ishin Roo and I was the peewee Michigan state champion. I made up for brown belt. So I was.
Danielle Fishel
Everything you do, you're very, very, very good at.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
He's that guy.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah.
Will Friedle
Thank you.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Thank you. I think I've always been physically talented. I've always been able to dance. Dancing's one of my passions. I grew up watching Michael Jackson and wanted to be like him. And so seeing him dance motivated me to dance. And then Detroit is a dance city. It's like, you know, there's all these popular dances that will come out. And middle school, my. My friend Eric Charles, he was a bit older than me, but he was super confident. And we would in middle together on one side, the girls on one side. Well, he would go, let's go ask him to go to dance and I'll follow him. And before you know it, we'd have four girls dancing around us. And then we're doing routines where I would fall, he would pick me up, throw me back up, and I would dance. And it was a whole thing. So that opened up my eyes to just dancing. And dancing's kind of been my friend throughout life.
Danielle Fishel
In your intro, I went through all of the types of dance you know how to do, which is basically everything. Tap and Latin. You were a salsa champion in 2004.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I. I won a world championship in 2004 at the Mayan. But it was a street. It wasn't like ballroom. Not like you. Not like you.
Danielle Fishel
Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah. Thank you for saying that.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Not like, not like ballroom.
Danielle Fishel
Okay.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Dancing with the Stars is one of my. One of my dreams too.
Danielle Fishel
Is it?
Walter Emanuel Jones
You went on that show and you did well. You kicked.
Danielle Fishel
Thank you.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I mean, I understand that you started from the beginning too, right? You, like, have you had a lot of dance training?
Danielle Fishel
I had zero, zero. Literally zero, zero. I dance at weddings. That's the extent of my dance experience. Do you still. Do you still dance?
Walter Emanuel Jones
I go dancing. So it's street. It's not like ballroom. Like I said, I dance salsa, bachata, kizambazuk, merengue, chacha. I dance a little bit of everything, but it's all like, you know, it's the sabor of it. It's like, you know, the flavor. So I. I dance probably two or three times a week.
Danielle Fishel
Where do you go? Because I need to. I'm looking.
Walter Emanuel Jones
You need to come dance with me.
Danielle Fishel
I would love to.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yes.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
Yes.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I went dancing last night. I'm so celebrating my birthday, so.
Will Friedle
Happy birthday.
Danielle Fishel
How old are you now?
Walter Emanuel Jones
I am 59.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
No, you're not.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah, yeah. I'm an old dude. I'm like 59. I'm going to be 60 next year. Next year. Give me a whole.
Danielle Fishel
I refuse to believe this.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I know. Well, I was adding it up.
Ryder Strong
When he was talking about what years.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Though, I was like, how is he.
Ryder Strong
That much older than us?
Danielle Fishel
Like, dude, that's crazy.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
I don't buy that.
Danielle Fishel
I don't want to assault international World Championship in 2004. That's 21 years ago. You, like, that's. No offense, but that's old to be winning world championships.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I mean, like, you know, and I probably was. I was in my late 30s at the time, so. Wow, look at you in 93 when we were all doing our shows, Power Rangers and yeah, Women's world. I was 26, playing 16.
Danielle Fishel
Wow.
Walter Emanuel Jones
You guys were actually like little kids. And I was actually already. I finished cruise ships and got to LA and started auditioning and booked Power Rangers and played teenager.
Danielle Fishel
So that is unbelievable. Jeez.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
I never would have guessed. I would have lost that instantly. If somebody asked me to guess your age, I wouldn't have been anywhere close. I thought we were the same age. I thought you were gonna be.
Danielle Fishel
I thought you were younger than I was. I thought you were younger than me. I really did.
Will Friedle
Ever been at the pharmacy counter and the pharmacist asks, do you have any questions? And suddenly your mind goes blank? That's exactly why you need to listen to beyond the Script from CVS Pharmacy and iHeartMedia. Starting January 14th. Hosted by Dr. Jake Goodman, this podcast brings you real conversations with CVS pharmacists, the health experts you see most answering the questions you wish you'd asked, like which medications might not mix well, what vaccine should you consider before a big trip? And even those questions you were too embarrassed to say out loud. Each episode busts myths, decodes health trends, and gives you practical, trustworthy advice straight from the people behind the counter. No white coats, no lectures. Just real talk, real answers, and maybe a few laughs. Listen to beyond the script on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Danielle Fishel
I'm Danielle Fishel Ryder Strong and Will.
Will Friedle
Friedle from Pod Meets World.
Danielle Fishel
Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or thinking about getting started, you will definitely want to check out season four of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks.
Ryder Strong
Mind the Business is part entertainment, part instruction manual, part inspiration. Each episode features practical tips and success stories that will resonate with entrepreneurs in any industry.
Will Friedle
In this latest season, Hosts Austin Hankwitz and Janice Torres are covering topics on the forefront of running a small business.
Danielle Fishel
They're talking to self starters about everything from how AI helps them work smarter to weathering market uncertainties and enjoying the benefits of being your own boss. And using Intuit QuickBooks to help you get more done in less time. You won't want to miss it.
Will Friedle
Listen to Mind the Business small business success stories on the Iheart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Angie Hicks
Hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co founder of Angie. One thing I've learned is that you buy a house, but you make it a home. And for decades, Angie Angie's help millions of homeowners hire skilled pros for the projects that matter. Get all your jobs done well@angie.com.
Danielle Fishel
Okay, so you, you're in la. So you're doing the cruise ships. After cruise ships, do you go back? Like how many years are you on the cruise ship?
Walter Emanuel Jones
I'm three years old. Cruise ships and I. And I thought, well, you know, I got this degree in musical theater. I want to be an actor on television and film and theater. I should give LA a shot. Let me get off the ships. Because I was enjoying myself. I was traveling all around the world. Entities in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Alaska, Mexico, just all these places. And I loved every part of it. And I thought, I could come back to this, and at the end of the day, I can become a cruise director, run the entertainment, and this could be my life. I could be happy with this. But I was like, let me give LA a shot. So I came back to LA and got an agent, a dance agent, actually, and started auditioning, doing extra work on, like, 90210 and just trying to get acclimated to the industry and seeing what it was like. I remember going on 90210 and I was like, right next to the other actors, and I was like, I could do this. I got this. I mean, like, I see what they're doing and I have that talent. I could. Yeah, I could do this. I could see myself doing this. And I was on a show. What was it, Ed McMahon? It was star Search.
Danielle Fishel
Star Search, yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Right. So I went on Star Search with a band, a singer, and on the way there, my agent called me on the plane, hey, there's an audition for this show called. It was called something different. Phantoms. A show called Phantoms. They're looking for a teenage superhero that can dance to martial arts and gymnastics. And I was like, I could do that.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
That's me.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Sounds like me.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
You gotta be 16. I could play 16 easily because I. I've always looked 10 years under my age. And. And they. They said they want to see you tomorrow. And I'm like, I'm on a plane. I'm like, I'm going to do Star Search. I'm. I'm on the plane right now. And they're like, bummer. If it gets picked up, it gets picked up for 40 episodes. And I'm like, 40 episodes? Oh, man, I can't believe I'm missing this opportunity. And the plane takes off. I go. I landed in Florida. When I land, I lose my voice. So I'm the lead singer in this band. Oh, no. Yeah. And I'm like, I'm talking like this now. And I'm like, oh, my God. So I trade places with one of the guys that's doing the backup singing. He becomes the lead singer, I become the background. We do our thing. We compete against Beyonce, who also loses. And. And it's time to go home. So who won?
Danielle Fishel
I know who won.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I don't even know. I can't remember. But yeah, Destiny's Child also competed and they lost, which is crazy because I was like, they were so good. And so I got back to LA and I'm bummed because I missed this audition. Star Search didn't work. And I get a call from my agency and they're like, they still want to see you. Can you go in tomorrow? And I'm like, yes, yes. So I go in and after about two weeks of auditioning, they finally sent us to the network and they send three groups. There's a tall group, a short group. I'm in the short group. And kind of an older group of actors. All, you know, five Rangers in each. And we all, you know, show what we, you know, what we're gonna be. And so at the end of the day, they picked my group and Power Rangers began. It's crazy now.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
So I think probably I know a little bit more about this world than my fellow co hosts just because I'm a nerd. So I know, not to be cliche, but the power of the Power Rangers. And so obviously nobody knew what you were stepping into originally as you, you, you don the mask. So as you start to go. First of all, I've heard the schedule for shooting was ridiculous, crazy.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Sometimes we did 15 hour days, sometimes not always, but right. It was, it was stupid. It was like, you know, we be up, you know, call times at 6:00am and then we work till 7, you know, typically with lunch. And then you had to come home, study for the next day. And. And we were shooting four scripts every two weeks. So it was.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
And it's all physical.
Walter Emanuel Jones
It's all physical. And we're shooting according to sets. So can you imagine how confusing that is? It's like, wait, where are we with what monster we fighting? What. What am I wearing? You know, like what just happened? You know, like all that. It was crazy.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
And you're doing all your own stunts, aren't you?
Will Friedle
Aren't you essentially doing everything?
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
You're also your own stunt people.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Well, the first 15 minutes of the show is us as teenagers dealing with normal life and, you know, situations. And then things escalate. The enemy comes. We try to fight them as our teenage selves. The enemy gets bigger, so then we morph into our suits and then they get stronger and then we call on our Zords or become the Megazord and we pull out the seward and bow. We win. That's the way it works every episode, except for we had a lot of cliffhangers. Like, our show was like the soap opera for kids. It's like, tune in tomorrow and find out will the Rangers lose their God. You know, kids were racing home from school or. Because it was like they had to know what was going to happen, you know.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Well, I mean, this became a global phenomenon.
Danielle Fishel
I mean, yes.
Walter Emanuel Jones
40 countries around the world and the shows were running for 32 years, which is pretty amazing.
Danielle Fishel
Wow.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah. I just went back for the 30th anniversary.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Did you now?
Will Friedle
I have to ask.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
And my co hosts are going to go. Huh. And if you don't want to talk about this, I totally understand. But do you believe in the Red Ranger curse?
Walter Emanuel Jones
There's no Red Ranger curse.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
There is not.
Walter Emanuel Jones
That's just some stuff somebody threw together and was like. I mean, when you consider the fact this show's run for 32 years, there's been at least 110 actors associated to the Power Rangers. There's bound to be some idiots, some bad luck involved.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Of course.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Some people, you know, like, it's not just a cast of six people.
Will Friedle
Right.
Walter Emanuel Jones
It's a lot of folks. And, and even though they're not the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, they're still still associated to the brand. So I imagine if, you know, like there's people get in trouble.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Yes. Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
You know, and people, you know, people make mistakes.
Ryder Strong
So.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Yeah, it seems like good nerd clickbait more than actually.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yes, yes.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Have any sense of reality behind it.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I mean, think about how much things have changed over the last 30 years. Right. I mean, like, that's three different generations and with three different attitudes about everything. And so, you know, what was normal at one point is now like, you know, people are like, look, their nose. They're like, I can't believe that that happened. Or that was, you know, I'm like, when I, when I did Power Rangers, I was, it was one of the first diverse cast that I can remember. And I was the first black superhero on live action tv.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
So that is, that in itself was like a whole thing. I mean, but then I had to deal with makeup and hair. They didn't know how to do my makeup or hair. They were used to doing things for people that were not black. And so, you know, when I got on the set, when you hire your makeup or your wardrobe, you hire for the majority and the majority was not me. So I ended up having to do my own hair sometimes.
Ryder Strong
Oh my God.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I Didn't. Luckily, my, my complexion has always been good. I didn't have a lot of bumps, so I barely wore any makeup. I was like, just give me powder. Because when they put makeup on me, they may be green or green.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
Gray.
Danielle Fishel
Green or gray.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah, that doesn't look good.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Yeah, that's not right.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah. So, I mean, a lot of things have changed from, from then till now. I mean, I know, you know, I was the first black superhero, but I was also a black actor. So at that point, for me, I grew up in Detroit. I was like, that's powerful. That's like.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah. So you knew it. You felt it at the time, right?
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah, no, I, I thought it. I mean, as the first black superhero, I was like, yes, I am wearing, I'm a black superhero and I'm wearing the black suit. And I'm like, let's go. I mean, that made me proud. But then over years, over decades, then people were, hey, that was weird. I'm like, that's strange. Hey, that was prejudiced. Oh, the black, blue jailer was like in a black suit. And. And then also originally the Yellow Ranger was Latina, but she asked for more money after the pilot and they fired her. And the next talented person they hired was Asian. So now it's a little weird. Oh, the black actor is in a black suit and the Asian actress is in a yellow suit and the pretty.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Girl is in the pink suit and all that. Yeah, there was.
Walter Emanuel Jones
But the pretty girl could be in any suit, of course. Of course.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
And because it came from Japanese footage, the Pink Ranger had a skirt and the Japanese footage, the Pink Ranger, the Yellow Ranger was a guy, so he didn't have a skirt. Right. But we had two girls, pink and yellow and. Yeah, so but I mean, if you go along with the logic of the colors matched everything. Yeah, the, the Pink Ranger was a pretty girl. The Red Ranger was what?
Will Friedle
Yeah, right.
Danielle Fishel
He wasn't it.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
Right.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah, he was just, just a young dude.
Will Friedle
Right.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
And then the Green Ranger wasn't green. He wasn't a frog. You know, he's like, he's a Green Ranger. And the Blue Ranger was, you know.
Danielle Fishel
Yes, coincidence does exist, like you said.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Especially if you go back and you try to find it. That's the thing. If you go back looking, looking for something, you know, with something already in your head, you're gonna find it somewhere. So.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, and so you're on that. You're in your late 20s, you find yourself on this international phenomenon. You're playing a 16 year old you're on now, like, one of the biggest kid properties of all time. Are you. Are you, like, shocked that. Does this feel like a dream come true? What's your family think?
Walter Emanuel Jones
Oh, yeah. I mean, when I show my family the pilot, I show them the pilot, and they were all like, it's okay. Something's gonna come along. They had it. Oh, yeah, they had it. They were like. They looked at it and they were like, what a piece of.
Ryder Strong
Oh, my God.
Walter Emanuel Jones
What are.
Danielle Fishel
You know, like, no one's gonna watch this, honey.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Right, Right. This is.
Danielle Fishel
This is.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah, No, I don't know what you did, but don't do it again. But then we redid the pilot again and again. We did three pilots, and finally the final one is what made it hit. And it clicked. And then all of a sudden, my answer machine. That's what we used to have back in the day. Oh, yeah, I remember the answer machine was full with like. Like, 75 messages. You have 75 messages. And I was like, yo, it was like family going, hey, what up, guys? And we gotta hang out.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Oh, man.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Everybody's congratulatory at that point. But it was. It was amazing to. To go from not being anybody in the world necessarily. I mean, of course, people love you on cruise ships, but. Yeah, but to go into my grocery store and look to the side and see I'm on the. On the face of Disney Adventure and TV Guide and Teen Beat, and I'm like, that's me. That's so weird.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
The only thing was I was broke.
Danielle Fishel
Right.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I couldn't buy the magazine. I was like, yeah.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
That was the other thing they were kind of famous for, was not paying the actors particularly well.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
So you weren't getting paid, like, regular SAG network television?
Walter Emanuel Jones
Not even close. Not even. It was pretty bad. And. And when we signed the contracts we knew was a non uni contract. At me being 26, I knew that it was a bad contract, but 40 episodes, it was a good trade. It was like, right, I'll take this as an experience, and it's gonna help me grow and it's gonna give me a reel and allow me to get an industry I can join sag. It'd be cool, you know, so. But it hit. It became the biggest kids show in 40 countries. And. And they made a billion dollars in the first season. And it was like, wow. So second season, you figure they made a billion dollars they're gonna take care of share.
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
And they were like, nah, nah. Well, you get a little bit. Here's A little bump, you know, but it was still under SAG wages. Way under SAG wages. And then, and then, then it was. Then we got the movie. They said, hey, guys, 21 Century Fox, they want to do a movie. They want to use all you guys. We've already guaranteed them. You see you, we're gonna say, yeah, you guys are gonna be the guys. They want you and they're gonna do new suits. It's gonna be this multi million dollar movie. And it's gonna be amazing. We're so excited. We're just gonna get our contracts to you and you guys gotta sign them. And we're good. And it was like, oh, man, here we go. A move. We're doing a big movie, like, you.
Danielle Fishel
Know, and I'm like, with a real budget.
Walter Emanuel Jones
With a real budget, exactly. It's so exciting. And then we got the contract, and the contract was for three movies, not just one. And the first, the first movie was like $17,500. Oh, for a movie. The second was gonna be like $23,000. The third was 27,000. And I was like, nah, man. Come on, come on. Y' all doing way too much. It's like you made a billion dollars. You can't even make it sag. Make it sag. So it's fair. Yes, it's fair. Then we'll be happy. We don't need it. I don't need to be a multi millionaire.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Although, yeah, you're not asking for 5 million DOL.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I'm not asking for 5. That, you know, 125 million dollar budget. I'm like, just give me what you would give a lead actor in a, in a TV show and a popular show, A popular movie. Yes. And it, it didn't work out. So we tried to get an. A lawyer to negotiate for the contract as a whole for everybody. We said, let's stay together, let's get a lawyer, because we can't negotiate for ourselves. You know, they don't see us that way. So let's get a lawyer. And we ended up finding a lawyer and a manager that was working with, that was working with three of us. And we asked the other guys to join and decided not to. And at the end of the day, when our season, our first season was over, we walked off the set in negotiation to get a better contract. And we started doing car shows and we would do a car show and we would make more in that weekend than we made an entire season.
Ryder Strong
Oh, my God.
Walter Emanuel Jones
We went back to the guys. Look, guys, we're doing These car shows, we've got fans everywhere, like, they're out to do it around the block. You know, we had already done Universal Studios, so. Which was, you know, was crazy. We had show up to the park and at that point we realized, wow, this is a lot bigger than what we know. Because it's one thing to be said to have it said to you. You're the number one kids show in the world. But if you haven't explored the world and the people in it, you don't know that. You just know.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Right.
Walter Emanuel Jones
That's what they said, you know, that's a stat.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
We're pulling in the share. It's. It's amazing. You know, that's cool. But we're not filling it, you know, like to be that famous and that popular and have toys and, and everything else. Have people sleeping outside at the, at Toys R Us to get your action figure, you know, is. Is a wild thing and it's crazy. They didn't even give us the action figures. I didn't even get them. I got them. Later on in life, you're like, and I wasn't gonna go stand at Toys R Us. That was weird. Like, I'm not gonna go sleep outside. Although I'm sure I could have walked up. But the pandemonium that would have created totally would have probably been very press worthy and things. But I didn't. I didn't do it. But that means overall it was a wild experience. I wouldn't trade it.
Danielle Fishel
I wouldn't.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I would do it again.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
Sure.
Walter Emanuel Jones
If I had to, I would have again tried to renegotiate a contract and convince everybody to do it with us because we had standing power to do that.
Will Friedle
But I was at that premiere.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
I went to that premiere. Yeah, I went to the premiere of the film and I was just kind of like, yeah. Because we didn't know.
Will Friedle
You don't. Yeah, I know.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
That's the thing is you don't know beforehand. You don't hear till years later where it's like, wow, they made like nothing to do this. And you're break.
Will Friedle
And it's not just.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
You're not just acting, you're also stunt performers. You're breaking your bodies.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I'm like doing. I'm like, I'm, you know, I'm doing all this physical activity that you would pay a stuntman to do.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, right. Yep.
Walter Emanuel Jones
And you get stunt bumps and so forth and so on. I did some. That was one of the funnest parts of the job for me though, really. Honestly, I did a stunt one time where I went. I was being chased by some putties. Those are the lower level bad guys. I'm being chased by putty. And there's a putty standing in front of the swing set. And I dive through the chains of the swing. I do a front flip over the putty. I land, I kick him in the stomach. He falls into the swing, swings back against the putty behind me. Now, that's some Jackie Chan level kind of stuff. And I was so impressed with myself that I was able to do it. In fact, the first time I did it, my leg got caught in the chain, and I'm hanging upside down like, it's okay.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
I'm fine.
Danielle Fishel
Let me just work again.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Back to work. And. But. And then even when they showed it, you don't even really see it because the time wasn't taken to make sure you could see that the chain. I went through the change like you see me do it, and you go, wait, did it die to the chains? Right?
Danielle Fishel
Look like maybe he went through the chains possibly.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah, right, right, right.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
So, yeah. Your physicality, though. So I have to tell a very quick story. I think you and I talked about this at one point at a convention. So I had always been attracted to martial arts my whole life, but I'm just not very good at it. But I liked it. I liked the discipline. I like taking two classes and then quitting. That's kind of my thing. I'm two classes into multiple disciplines. So there's a martial arts studio up the street from our. We're shooting at. Not ktla, but at the Radford.
Danielle Fishel
Radford.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
At the Radford. And I drive by and I keep seeing this martial arts studio there. So I'm like, you know what? I'm gonna go, yes. Grandmaster Songs. Hopkido. So I go in and I start taking private lessons with Grandmaster Song. And he's the nicest guy, and he's a great teacher. And he says, I want you to come tonight. We're doing black belt tests, and I want you to sit there and watch and hold people's clothes, because obviously I'm not gonna be testing for anything. So I get there and he says, where all the classes? We're all kneeling there. We're sitting there. And he says, and now I would like somebody to come in and give us a demonstration. And it was you. And you walked into the class, and the first thing you did was run down the mat, do a front flip, and then jump into a giant spinning Back kick. And I remember going like, oh, I can't do this. I will never, ever be able to do this.
Will Friedle
It was the Most. There's probably 10 of us there in the class.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
And you gave this demonstration that was just like that.
Will Friedle
That's what I want.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
I want to be able to. And just knowing that I've never, ever have a chance to do it. But you were so nice to me and. But it was just one of those.
Will Friedle
Things where you just saw the physicality.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Was on such another level that you're just kind of like, oh, some people can do it like that. And some people hurt themselves kneeling. Like, I'd been kneeling for too long and wasn't going to be able to get up. And so it was yeah, it was just that. Just remember watching that and then learning after that kind of took me in the deep dive down the Power Rangers hole because I was like, oh, are they all this skilled? Which you weren't all as skilled as you were, let's be honest. But the idea that it was like.
Will Friedle
They'Re actors and stunt people and they're doing all this together, they're fighting.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
They're probably doing some of the fight.
Will Friedle
Coordinations themselves, like, this is amazing.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
And then to find out the work schedule and the compensation for it, as a fellow actor, it was like, oh, man. It was just that moment of, that's not cool, you know, so it was now seeing everybody at the convention, seeing.
Will Friedle
The lines you have at the conventions.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
And people coming, showing you the love, and actually, you're getting some, Some, Some good compensation for the work that you've put in over the years.
Will Friedle
Thank God.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Because we as fans and we as fellow actors, when we knew it was like, that's. Man, that's not cool. So. But, yeah, thank you for that. That was you. You really let me know that I would never be a martial artist. So I'd like to.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I'm really happy that you were there to witness that, because I remember doing that. Grandmaster Song asked me to come in and do it. I don't think it was my black belt test, but I did do a showcase there and I put out the stop. So I was like, oh, sick. The kicks. And I had a lot of talent, so I was able to do things and incorporate, you know, Hip Hop Keto, Son of Hip Hop Keto, but Hopkito into it.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
And.
Walter Emanuel Jones
And it was fun. It was a lot of fun. And it's cool to remember that you were there and you saw that it was great.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
It was totally. I'll never Forget that. Yep. That was great.
Walter Emanuel Jones
And yes, the, the fans that we have now are, are amazing. We have the best fans in the world. You know, I, I get to travel. It's so weird that I get to travel to so many places because the show is everywhere and some places where I can't even speak the language. And I got so much love. Like, I just got back from Brazil. I was in, I went to Santos, which is like this little town by Sao Paulo, and I did a festival there and everybody was there and so much love. And they're speaking Portuguese and I can't speak, but I'm going, oy tutu beIN. And they go crazy. And it's like actually dance Zoom, which is a Brazilian style dance. So that's, that's amazing. And then I've been to Ireland and Scotland. I mean, you know what it's like, you know, all these great different places. Colombia. I was in Colombia recently for my birthday last year and that was amazing. No, it's just, it's so cool. I went to Indonesia actually once and I, you know, I'm there and I don't speak the same language, so I have an interpreter and that's always fun. Interpreter. But just, you know, the love is the same. It's the same people. And to feel that and know that it exists in the world without me even knowing is wild. And I, I mean, you know what it's like. Sometimes you hear these stories from people that are so heartwarming to know that I was positive in their life, motivated them in some way to get through a situation. And they, and maybe that happened to them when they were five or seven and they've carried that through, like their life. They, they carried that story. When I was seven, I had to go through this such and such. And I thought about the Black Ranger and so I stood up for myself and I did that. And they, they've been telling the story to everybody they know for like 25 years. And then they meet me and they're like, I gotta tell you what I.
Danielle Fishel
Get to tell you.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah. And I'm like. And I'm so excited for them. Like, that happened. Wow.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
That is so cool. I'm so happy that it was, that was part of it, you know?
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Being an actor on anything and obviously being able to make a career out of it is, is a wonderful gift. But when you're doing something that you're focused on children.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
And you're the hero.
Will Friedle
And you're the hero. You just get to be like the whole.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
It's really amazing. Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
What's is the fans are.
Danielle Fishel
Are.
Walter Emanuel Jones
We have a lot of fans that are 40 now and so, you know, spend 32 years. So if you were 8, you were watching Power Rangers, our key audience then. Now you're 40 or you're 43 or 44. You got a family of your own, you got kids and some of you got grandkids. And it's like, and you come up to my line and you go from being grandpa or papa to a little boy. They're trying to be cool and they're like, oh. And the kids are happy because their kids watch to show. But then they're even. They're standing behind them like this, like, oh my God, I can't control it.
Will Friedle
Yes.
Walter Emanuel Jones
You know, and it's so amazing just, just to have generations and, and know that. That this will live beyond myself, you know?
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah, that's. That's awesome.
Will Friedle
Ever been at the pharmacy counter and the pharmacist asks, do you have any questions? And suddenly your mind goes blank? That's exactly why you need to listen to beyond the script from CVS Pharmacy and iHeartMedia. Starting January 14th. Hosted by Dr. Jake Goodman, this podcast brings you real conversations with CVS pharmacists, the health experts you see most answering the questions you wish you'd asked, like which medications might not mix well, what vaccine should you consider before a big trip? And even those questions you were too embarrassed to say out loud. Each episode busts myths, decodes health trends, and gives you practical, trustworthy advice straight from the people behind the counter. No white coats, no lectures. Just real talk, real answers, and maybe a few laughs. Listen to beyond the script on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Danielle Fishel
I'm Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and Will.
Will Friedle
Friedle from Pod Meets World.
Danielle Fishel
Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or thinking about getting started, you will definitely want to check out season four of Mind the Business. Small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks.
Ryder Strong
Mind the Business is part entertainment, part instruction manual, part inspiration. Each episode features practical tips and success stories that will resonate with entrepreneurs in any industry.
Will Friedle
In this latest season, hosts Austin Hankwitz and Janice Torres are covering topics on the forefront of running a small business.
Danielle Fishel
They're talking to self starters about everything from how AI helps them work smarter to weathering market uncertainties and enjoying the benefits of being your own boss. And using Intuit QuickBooks to help you get more done in less time. You won't want to miss it.
Will Friedle
Listen to Mind the Business small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Okta/Julian Edelman (advertisement voice)
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Danielle Fishel
I want to ask you about the once and always special too.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yes.
Danielle Fishel
What was it like putting back on the suit 30 years later, now doing this role as an adult, what was that like?
Walter Emanuel Jones
You know what? You ever go back to your high school or your elementary school after you've gotten much bigger and you go back in the locker room, Everything's so small. Oh yeah, the hallways. Remember this color. These stairs used to seem like so many stairs and it's now as simple as like it was like that to go back Very surreal, except for everything's changed. So I'm going back and looking at the history of what's happened 28, 28 years later. Like, when I was on the show and the Command center, we had Zordon, and we had this in the viewing globe, and. And now I'm in the command center and Zordon's gone. And see, there's a crack where he used to be, and there's no more viewing Globe. And there's a different Alpha 5. There's Alpha 9 now. It's like. It's all weird. It's like, weird but familiar because even though it had been 28 years since I've been on the show, every day of my life, I've had somebody walk up to me and call me Zach. Hey, Zach. And so Zach has never left me. And thank God. Thank God that I still had the energy and the training to be able to do the things that I used to do. I haven't needed to do a backflip in a long time, but I did it on Power Rangers once and always. So I, like, I pulled out a backflip and did jump split kicks and went to the ground and did hip hop keto. And I was so excited that I was able to do that for my fans that have been with me since 93, to their kids and their kids to be able to go back and reprise the role was amazing. And it was also a bit of closure that I never knew that I needed because, you know, when you. When you. When you work on a series or a TV show, and at the end, you get that rap, all right, that's a rapper, Walter Jones. You know, I didn't get that because we walked off the show, right, hoping to negotiate a contract and come back and do the movie and finish doing some more shows, and that never happened. And so when I finished the series, when we finished once and always, they said, all right, that's a rap on Walter Jones. And I just lost it. I tried to be cool. I was trying to be cool. I was like, yeah, I was like.
Danielle Fishel
I just went in.
Walter Emanuel Jones
The voice went way high. I couldn't talk. I was, like, tearing up. And it was. But I realized it was healing for me to finally hear that on something that I helped create and that I've seen, you know, I've seen just, like, do so well in the world with movies and TV shows and the comic books and the toys. Toys and the. The trading cards and all this stuff that I see that lives in the world because it's something that I helped create in the very beginning to now be able to finally get a thank you.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
Right.
Okta/Julian Edelman (advertisement voice)
Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Which is. Which is awesome. I mean, I always get the thank you from the fans, but from the production itself.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
Correct.
Walter Emanuel Jones
You know.
Danielle Fishel
Yes. That was wild to be given your flowers.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
From the. From the other people who have helped create, you know, the legacy that you helped create. Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
And it's 28 years later, so there's barely any of them left, but still.
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah. It's like. Yeah, that was. That was enough to work with David Yost again, one of the. Also one of the original Rangers, the Blue Ranger. To work with him on the show was awesome. It was a very surreal thing because working with David. David and I are. Our characters are kind of similar to our characters on the show. David's a little more reserved. He's a little more, you know, like, he's well put together. I'm energy and bouncy and spontaneous and fun. And even as adults, we are a certain odd couple. Do you know what I mean? But we have this love for each other because we've known each other for so long, and we've gone through this whole thing together. That's amazing. And then to be. We were paying tribute to the Yellow Ranger, who was my friend Thuy Trang, and who also left with me. So she knew my experience of leaving because we were holding each other up. No, it's gonna be okay. We're gonna get through the contract. We're gonna go back, and then we'll be through the movie. And then when it fell through, the heartbreak was only what we experienced, you know, myself and. And Austin St. John and Thuy Trang. So then to see Thuy go on and do movies, she did the Crow. Her career starting to prosper. She was doing well. And then she passed away, and she was in a car accident, tragic car accident, and we lost her. And that was before she got to experience any of the fandom of people that were kids that are now grown to tell you stories about how you introduce. Inspired their life to go and do this show. We're paying tribute to her and Jason Frank. But her, who had not experienced any of this, was weird because I am mourning in the movie. In the TV show, I'm Zach mourning Trini, who's passed, but I'm also Walter, who's mourning Twee. And to look at her pictures in the scene, there's a picture where I'm. I'm looking at her pictures, and I'm, you know, having this. This memory moment of her. It's like, it's wow. Talking about, you know, living in the moment. It was like, it was. It was wild. It was cool, though. It was very cool.
Danielle Fishel
That's beautiful.
Will Friedle
Ever been at the pharmacy counter and the pharmacist asks, do you have any questions? And suddenly your mind goes blank? That's exactly why you need to listen to beyond the Script from CVS Pharmacy and iHeartMedia. Starting January 14th. Hosted by Dr. Jake Goodman, this podcast brings you real conversations with CVS pharmacists, the health experts you see most, answering the questions you wish you'd asked, like which medications might not mix well, what vaccine should you consider before a big trip, and even those questions you were too embarrassed to say out loud. Each episode busts myths, decodes health trends, and gives you practical, trustworthy advice straight from the people behind the counter. No white coats, no lectures. Just real talk, real answers, and maybe a few laughs. Listen to beyond the script on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Danielle Fishel
I'm Danielle Fishel Ryder Strong and Will.
Will Friedle
Friedle from Pod Meets World.
Danielle Fishel
Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or thinking about getting started, you will definitely want to check out season four of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks.
Ryder Strong
Mind the Business is part entertainment, part instruction manual, part inspiration. Each episode features practical tips and success stories that will resonate with entrepreneurs in any industry.
Will Friedle
In this latest season, hosts Austin Hankwitz and Janice Torres are covering topics on the forefront of running a small business.
Danielle Fishel
They're talking to self starters about everything from how AI helps them work smarter to weathering market uncertainties and enjoying the benefits of being your own boss. And using Intuit QuickBooks to help you get more done in less time, you won't want to miss it.
Will Friedle
Listen to Mind the Business Small Business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Okta/Julian Edelman (advertisement voice)
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Advertisement voice (Knix)
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Danielle Fishel
I think our fans would absolutely kill us if we did not talk about Brink. And I know that this is. I'm stepping on Will's toes here with magical rewind. I have to know, was Brink as fun to film as it looked?
Walter Emanuel Jones
It was so much fun.
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I mean think about it. X Games, right? It was very prominent at that time. So you had all these amazing athletes doing cool things on skateboards and bikes and rollerblades and so forth and so on and it was in the vein of that. So when I was offered to me, the role was offered to me. I was 29 at the time and the other actors were truly 15. Eric Von Den is 15 and they're like 15, 14, they're really kids. And here I am my 29 year old self, like playing a kid again in a Disney movie and I rollerblade it. So it was cool. We got on there and we started training with some of the guys from Exploit from X Games and we're learning to go down ramps and all this stuff. And I. I'm courageous in my own way, but didn't really know how to do stunts on rollerblades. And I'll tell you, when you go down a ramp on blades, it's pretty terrifying.
Danielle Fishel
Oh, my gosh. Even just the thought of it.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah, it's like. It's like, okay, you're there on the. On edge. Like, okay, how do I do this? And you have to learn to push forward. Like, lean into it and push forward. Because if you lean back at all, you fall.
Ryder Strong
You slide. Yes.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Oh, my God. Yeah. The weight. Yeah. So that was. It was trauma, but it was fun. And we trained. We trained for about a week or two down at Santa Monica Beach.
Danielle Fishel
Oh, they gave you a whole week? How nice.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Are you kidding?
Will Friedle
You're lucky.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
You're lucky you got offered the role. I've interviewed a bunch of the cast who said part of the audition process was they put them in rollerblades and push them down a hill.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Wow. So.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
So it was like. I mean, literally just like, go.
Walter Emanuel Jones
There you go.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
I mean, this is back in the day when Disney's like, hey, the four kids that survive are going to be in the movie. So, yeah, I didn't even know how.
Walter Emanuel Jones
They did that, but, yeah, it was. It was a lot of fun to film. Those guys were great. I still talked to the guy that played Val all the time. And. And, yeah, it was. It was a great time. Unfortunately, again, the hairdresser, they did a job on me, which my fans love to talk about. Now, I had this hairline that was like a bowl. And the hairdresser was like, no, no, no. I know how to do black hair. And I was like, you sure?
Danielle Fishel
Right.
Walter Emanuel Jones
You know, he's like, yeah, no, I do black hair all the time. Okay. All right. Can you line me up? Can you? It was a disaster. Oh, no. And although it was clean, it was clean. I mean, I looked. I look clean, but it was wrong. It was definitely wrong. And I. To this day, online, on any of my social media, people are hitting me up, like, what about the hairline? I'm like, 31 years ago, let it go.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
I am on the brink of losing it. Yes.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Some of them tease me. And I'm like, let me see your hairline. And then.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Yeah, exactly.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Take it off this hat.
Danielle Fishel
Get rid of that cat in your profile picture.
Walter Emanuel Jones
That's gonna be right. So funny. So funny.
Danielle Fishel
You also made the rounds of 90s classic TV shows, Family Matter, Step by step, Parenthood, Sabrina. But I wanna ask you about something. A Little more obscure. You starred on a show called Space Cases.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Oh yeah.
Danielle Fishel
Part of the SNCC programming block that seemed way ahead of its time. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Walter Emanuel Jones
I. It was the first show that I booked, series that I booked after Power Rangers. It was called Space Cases. It was created by Bill Mooney, who was in Lost in Space.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
That's who I'm named after.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah, that's who you're named after.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
So his character in Lost in Space was Will Robinson. And I was supposed to be Billy, but because my brother's favorite show was Lost in Space, I was named after his character, Will Robinson. I got, I met Bill. He's a, he's a very cool guy.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Amazing guy. Amazing guy. Guy, yeah. So they, they hired me to be on the show and again, I was 20, 28 or I was, I was older, 28 with actual 15 year olds. And I think there was a 9 year old, an 11 year old, 13 year old and a 15 year old. And you and me. And I, I was. We're playing a bunch of kids in a space university, galactic university for prospering officers on ships. And this ship comes in and we decide to go explore it because I'm the guy that's like, hey, let's go check it out. And they're like, we can't do that. I'm like, we could do whatever we want to do. Let's go. So we go, we get on the ship, the ship logs us on as the crew and the teacher and a captain, a former captain, come on to take us off and they get logged on as the passengers. Ship goes off into space because something's wrong. We're playing with the controls and we get lost in space ourselves.
Will Friedle
So it's Lost in Space meets Space Camp.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
That's a great idea.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yes, it was awesome. It was an awesome show. We had two great seasons. The show was doing really well. We were the number two kids, number one, number two show on Nickelodeon behind Kenan Nikkel. So Kenan Nikhil was number one. We were number two. We had a great cast. And then the third season was coming around, which I wish we'd have done. The third season, we left it on. This cliffhanger was crazy. I mean I was crying like, you know, bawling because we lost one of our, one of my co stars and her invisible friend ended up coming back to be. To be. To play her part. But I got booked by Aaron Spelling to do a show called Malibu Shores.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Yeah, I remember Malibu Shores.
Walter Emanuel Jones
And Aaron Spelling is The man. And I, you know, I thought, well, I got the number one kids show in the world. I want to do prime time. I want to get out of this kid stuff. And so I got to take it. I got to take the chance. So I ended up leaving my show to go do Malibu Shores. And we did one season, and that was it. It was done. It was done. But I did get to be with Aaron, and Aaron was making me promise. He's like, I'm gonna put you in every show I do. You know, like, I was going over, hanging out at the house with Aaron Spelling, with Tori and Randy, and, like, sitting by the pool, bowling alley in the basement. I was like, life is good. I was like, prime time, here I come. You know, because Aaron Spelling was, like, just a master. I mean, everything he touched turned to go, yeah, yeah, yeah. Charlie's Angels, Duke's Hazard, so forth and so on. Like. Like Melrose Place. Like, he. He was the guy. So I took a chance to do it, and it didn't work out. And now I'm depressed that I left my show because it was a good show. Yeah. And it was fun, and a lot of people loved it. And because we only did two seasons, it didn't. It didn't get to, you know, continue it. Like, it didn't go into. It didn't get, like, what. What's the word I'm looking for? It didn't go into syndication. Thank you. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. My brain was. I am getting older.
Danielle Fishel
I was like.
Walter Emanuel Jones
But it was a lot of fun. That was a lot of fun to the show, and I was really grateful. I mean, and I was actually finally paid well, so that was good.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Yeah, that's great. Yeah, exactly.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
Yeah.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Not to go backwards, but you mentioned the cruise ship, and I just. We don't have to get too much into it. But is it true that working on a cruise ship is kind of like a party the entire time you're there for all the people that are working? It's just. You kind of don't know what cabin you're going to wake up in.
Walter Emanuel Jones
That's a little. That one's every weekend, every week, there's a new. Yeah, there's new crew. People that come on board that are partying and on vacation, and they're happy. And, I mean, there is. There's possibilities to meet people. And I met some people, but I also had a girlfriend on the ship. Okay. I ended up having a girlfriend on the ship. And. And that way, when we had adventures, we go to Alaska, and we go hiking on the glaciers or we go kayaking or. Or if we did, went horseback riding or jet skiing or in Mexico, we did stuff like that together. So Tuesday nights, you know, that's so great. Doing that with somebody you don't know so well is cool, but it's not the same as really being able to share something with somebody.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Can I ask, what is your craziest passenger experience that you had with somebody on the cruise ship?
Walter Emanuel Jones
Well, I did happen to have a romantic occasion on the top of the ship in the middle of a storm. A rainstorm, lightning and thunder. And I'm on the top deck with this young lady, and we had an adventure. And it was. It was adventurous. It was definitely adventurous. The thing is, is after we were done, she told me it was her first time, and I thought that was weird. She told me.
Danielle Fishel
I was like, listen, there are very few people who can say their first time was on the top floor of a ship with a Power Ranger.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
With a future famous Power Ranger.
Danielle Fishel
Not yet.
Advertisement voice (Knix)
Future.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Future power rancher. Yeah, but that was. That was an adventure.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
I thought you were gonna be like, somebody got really drunk and almost fell off the boat. But I like the way your story went better.
Walter Emanuel Jones
That was the Walter adventure. Actually, I. I did go. I did. I was riding a horse in. In Puerto Riata. And, you know, on these tours, the horses kind of know where they're going because they've been taking people all day, every day. And so I'm riding this horse and I. I like riding horses. I've ridden horses for a while, and I got this horse and I'm like. I'm running him. You know, we're running and this horse tries to knock me into a branch, a low hanging branch. And I'm like, man, what are you doing? And then he takes off running and he turns a corner and right there is a brick wall. So.
Ryder Strong
Corner.
Walter Emanuel Jones
And he stops. And I'm flinging off the horse. And I grab his neck and I'm holding onto him like this, and I'm like, this horse, he's trying to kill me. You're not my friend anymore, horse. I think he was gonna show me. He's like this. This gringo. I'm gonna show him.
Danielle Fishel
Oh, my.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I have it on and I survived, so.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Oh, man.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah. Horses will try to kill you. They will. Everyone who's not like a professional horse rider has some sort of like, this horse tried to kill me once.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Exactly. Yeah.
Walter Emanuel Jones
It happens. It happens.
Danielle Fishel
Well, Walter, thank you so much for being here with us. Thank you for all of the contributions you have given to kids, tv, the entertainment industry. You are truly a legend, and I'm so glad that you feel the love. Even though you were not compensated fairly for the incredible work that you did for all those years. I hope you know how much you mean to multiple generations of people, including us. So thank you for all of your contributions and we hope you feel the love.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Oh, you know what? I. I feel the love. It's amazing. And I. I thank you, everybody, for. For contrib. Continuing to support me. Check out my film, War Dogs. It's on right now. I got music out under the name Trey Emanuel. I got two songs, Walk in the park and Dance. Check me out on Spotify or anything that's streaming. And if you go to my. My Instagram, Walter at Walter E. Jones, it's all there in the bio.
Danielle Fishel
Perfect.
Will Friedle
Sweet.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
That's everything you do? Everything I do.
Danielle Fishel
I'm gonna take you up on going dancing.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yes. It's gonna happen. Okay, we gotta go.
Danielle Fishel
I'll ask our producers for your contact information and I'll reach out to you because I really do wanna. Maybe I'll convince these guys to go.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Yeah. Never in a million years.
Danielle Fishel
You put it in the chat. Thank you so much, Walter. Thank you for being here.
Walter Emanuel Jones
See you outside somewhere. Yeah, we'll definitely see you out. Take care, guys.
Will Friedle
Bye.
Danielle Fishel
Man. When every time we talk about how they were treated, I mean, there's just no way around it. Even if they're too polite to say it, they were just absolutely exploited.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Oh, yeah. That's the only word for it. And we have truly no idea. The phenomenon that we can't even wrap our heads around was insane. And they were. They were literally making billions of dollars. And they. Anytime any of the actors said, I can't make my rent, they got fired and they put somebody else in the suit. It was just incredible. Absolutely incredible.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, well, and it's so frustrating to hear too, that, like, you know, he. He kind of decided, let's get a lawyer. Let's. And. And three of the five agreed to doing it. And the other two just said, I think I can do better without. Or if. Whether or not I think I can do better without being in the group, I'm willing to accept it in order to not possibly lose my job. Where, you know, as. As everyone really saw. I remember the Friends renegotiation being. I mean, the biggest news ever, that the five of them banded together and said, we are an ensemble. We want to. And we. We. We know how Much money you're making. We want to make this amount of money. And they all got it because.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Because they think the power in number.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, six of them, however many it was. So yeah, it's, it's just such a bummer that like, basically they were punished for doing this.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Is also one of the problems though with non union contracts. You have, you have. When you're sometimes with a union, the union is there to make sure stuff like this doesn't happen because again, these were not just actors. They were doing all of the stunts. There were times where it was pretty.
Will Friedle
Dangerous on the set as well and.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
They just weren't getting compensated. But man, it's another One of those IPs though, that's just been around for 30 something years and is still going strong. I mean, at one point when they redid the movie in Zordon, Bryan Cranston played Zordon. I mean, these are starting to get very big actors that were like, I want to be involved in this franchise because they were.
Will Friedle
It's the Power Rangers.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
So I mean, Ryder, you and I, one of our close friends is the one who took the comic books to a whole nother level. Kyle Higgins took the whole. The comic books to a different place. And yeah, it's been.
Will Friedle
We see them at the conventions.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
I mean, they have lines around the.
Will Friedle
Block at the conventions. Huge.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Yeah. Bill Hader was alpha 5 in the new one. There you go. So. So they are. Yeah, it's, it's quite the franchise.
Danielle Fishel
Well, thank you all for joining us for this episode of Pod Meets World. As always, you can follow us on Instagram Pod Meets World Show. You can send us your emails. Podmeetsworldshowmail.com and we've got merch.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
It's Merchant time. That one worked pretty well, actually.
Danielle Fishel
That was pretty good.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
I'm happy that that one worked out as well as it did.
Danielle Fishel
Podmeetsworldshow.com will send us out.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
We love you all. Pod dismissed.
Will Friedle
Pod Meets World is an iHeart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle and Ryder Strong, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor, Tara Sudbaksh, producer, Matty Moore, engineer and Boy Meets World superfan Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. And you can follow us on Instagram at Pod Meets World World show. Or email us@podmesworldshowmail.com.
Okta/Julian Edelman (advertisement voice)
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Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
From Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and Jewels. Sunday mornings I've got my game day ritual. Coffee, lucky socks and now new morning Uncrustable sandwiches.
Will Friedle
It's all about that 12 gram protein booster with the new uncrustables.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Bright eyed berry or up and apple flavors.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Bright Eye Berries got a feisty receiver.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Energy up an apple.
Okta/Julian Edelman (advertisement voice)
Your classic do it all tight end.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Soft, pillowy, packed with protein and easy enough for Gronk to grab from the freezer.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Whether you're on the couch, driving to.
Will Friedle
The tailgate or heading to the locker room, new morning Uncrustable sandwiches are the MVP of snacks.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Your new Sunday kickoff ritual starts here with new morning Uncrustable sandwiches packed with 12 grams of protein.
Okta/Julian Edelman (advertisement voice)
Running a business is hard enough.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Don't make it harder.
Ryder Strong
With a dozen apps that don't talk to each other.
Okta/Julian Edelman (advertisement voice)
One for sales, another for inventory, a separate one for accounting.
Walter Emanuel Jones
That's software overload.
Ryder Strong
Odoo is the all in one platform that replaces them all. CRM, accounting, inventory, E Commerce, hr. Fully integrated, easy to use and built.
Walter Emanuel Jones
To grow with your business.
Ryder Strong
Thousands have already made the switch. Why not you try Odoo for free@odoo.com that's odoo.com.
Walter Emanuel Jones
With Bali From Ishares you get access.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
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Walter Emanuel Jones
Potential in one simple ETF. It's the best of both worlds.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
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Walter Emanuel Jones
IShares the market is yours.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Visit www.ishares.com to view a perspective for investment objectives, risks, fees, expenses and other.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Information that you should read and consider carefully before investing.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Risks include principal loss and the use of derivatives, which could increase risks and volatility.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Monthly income is not guaranteed.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
Prepared by BlackRock Investments, LLC. Live, CBS Sunday.
Will Friedle
Hollywood's biggest party is now bigger than ever.
Danielle Fishel
Perfect.
Ryder Strong
No, no.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
The Golden Globes.
Will Friedle
With more stars, more glamour, more chaos and more host Nikki Glaser, we're gonna.
Danielle Fishel
Laugh at the celebrities that can take it and completely ignore the ones who can't.
Walter Emanuel Jones
I'm just kidding.
Danielle Fishel
They're not safe either.
Podcast Co-host (likely Will Friedle or Ryder Strong alternate)
The Golden Globes live CBS Sunday, 8.
Will Friedle
Eastern, 5 Pacific, and streaming on Paramount.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Plus, this is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.
Podcast: Pod Meets World (iHeartPodcasts)
Air Date: January 5, 2026
Hosts: Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, Ryder Strong
Guest: Walter Emanuel Jones
The Pod Meets World team welcomes Walter Emanuel Jones, the legendary original Black Ranger from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, to share his inspiring journey as a performer, a pioneering Black superhero, and a beloved 90s icon. Walter offers behind-the-scenes stories from his multifaceted career—dancer, actor, martial artist, cruise ship entertainer—reflecting on both the highs (worldwide fame, legacy, fan love) and the lows (exploitation, pay struggles, the loss of colleagues). The conversation is candid, funny, and moving, offering fans a glimpse into the realities of children's TV stardom and the impact of representation.
Detroit Beginnings & Family Influence
Arts Education & Determination
Landing the Role
The Audition Process
Life as a Power Ranger
Global Phenomenon & Representation
The Pay & Contract Struggles
The Fan Legacy
| Segment | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------------|------------------| | Danielle on DWTS costume process | 03:23–16:14 | | Walter’s early influences/family | 25:53–27:22 | | Life on cruise ships, early work | 28:41–29:32, 37:23| | Power Rangers audition & landing the part | 39:01–40:56 | | Show’s grueling filming & stunts | 41:23–42:08 | | Representation & diversity discussion | 44:10–47:00 | | Contract & pay disputes; walking off | 49:18–52:13 | | Fan legacy and conventions | 58:41–61:54 | | Martial arts anecdotes (Will’s story) | 55:51–58:41 | | “Once & Always” Netflix special, closure | 65:39–69:05 | | Tribute to Thuy Trang (Yellow Ranger) | 70:28–71:30 | | Filming Brink (Disney Channel) | 75:47–77:29 | | Space Cases, leaving for primetime, regrets | 79:18–83:00 | | Cruise ship (wild/romantic) stories | 84:29–86:38 | | Post-episode discussion on exploitation | 88:05–90:30 |
In line with the show's tone, the episode is nostalgic, energetic, candid, and heartfelt. The hosts expertly blend playful ribbing (“How ruched!”), empathic listening, and insider wisdom. Walter’s charm, humility, and joy shine—he’s grateful, philosophical, and honest about hardships. The talk leaves listeners with a richer understanding of the human cost behind beloved pop culture, and the lasting, evolving power of representation and fandom.
This episode is essential listening for Power Rangers, 90s TV, and dance fans seeking a deeper perspective on the people, pressures, and perseverance behind childhood heroes. Walter embodies what it means to break barriers, fight for fair treatment, and turn struggle into lasting positive impact.
Follow Walter Emanuel Jones:
Final Note:
As Danielle says: "Thank you for all you have given to kids' TV, the entertainment industry. You are truly a legend, and I'm so glad that you feel the love." ([86:38])